Directed by Kim Manners
Airdate: December 20, 1987
The episode begins with a holiday party at the Chapel until it's interrupted by officials from the Immigration Services. They question Ioki, who has been faking his identity since he joined the department. His real name is Vinh Van Tran and he's not from Japan but was a refugee from Vietnam.
The episode follows Ioki as he tells his story. A teenager during the fall of Saigon in 1975, his parents were both killed when they tried to escape. He managed to find transport to Guam, but not before losing his best friend. He befriended American servicemen and made it to America and was raised by a foster parent in St. Louis. His dream was to become a cop.
Under investigation by Internal Affairs, Ioki is also in hot water from Fuller. A Vietnam veteran, Fuller carries a distrust of Vietnamese people and resents Ioki for the lie. The crux of the episode weighs on Fuller's testimony at the hearing, who gets Ioki absolved of any wrongdoing. Hanson points out the force needs diversity, and Ioki is the only Vietnamese officer on the force, so Fuller eventually comes around. Even Captain Jenko (RIP) is referenced in the episode since he recruited Ioki for the Jump Street program.
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| Holidays with the Jenko family |
A strong episode because it deals with conflict and resolution within the unit. It was also the first focus on Ioki, continuing the season's focus on character development. There's also a post-Vietnam theme with Ioki and Fuller coming to terms with the war and how it affected them.
On a light note, they all share Christmas dinner at Sal's place (Mindy Cohn from Facts of Life plays his wife!). Hanson's still dating Amy, the social worker from last week. As a bonus, the episode begins with Depp, Nguyen, and DeLuise doing their Brando impressions.
Final Report: A-
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